Improvement in rotary engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAIVI J. NOR/TON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. NORTON, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Cut-Off Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

My improvement in rotary engines has reference to the construction and arrangement of valves for regulating the supply to and escape from the cylinder of steam; also, a cnt-off which economizes the steam by accepting all its developing energy.

Figure 1 represents a perspective viewof my improved engine with one-half of the front cylinder-head removed, showin g the revolving piston and abutment. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the engine, taken through the valves and supply-pipes. Fig. 3 is a plan of the front of the engine, the cylinder-head being removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the valves and valve-seat. Fig. 5 is a plan of the back of the engine, showing the gear-wheels attached to the axles of the revolving piston and abutment.

A represents the cylinder of the engine, in two pieces, secured together by bolts a. Within the cylinder A are the abutment B and revolving piston C.

The front cylinder-head, D, is in two parts to admit of adjustment. IJhe bolts o, which secure the cylinder-head D, pass through slots b in the cylinder-head D. rlhrottle-valve E regulates the supply of steam to the supplypipes F.

The supply-pipes F are attached to steamchests Gr upon the outside of the cylinder A. Cylindrical valves d fit the interior ot' steam-chest G. It has upon one side a depression, e, and slot e', connecting with depression e and permitting steam to escape from within cylinder A into escape-pipes H. Two vents, b and c', from steam-chest Gr give passage to steam from supply-pipes F into the chambers occupied by abutment B and revolving piston C.

To stem s f of cylindrical valves dare secured reversing-rods g, turned down at their free ends g. They are connected together by rod h. The revolving piston C has `piston-heads a',

.the chamber in which abutment B revolves into the chamber in which the revolving piston is situated.

Gearwheels m and m are secured to the axles of abutment B and revolving piston C, exterior to the rear cylinder-head, D.

Operation: IVheu the en gine is to be started the reversing-rods g are moved around till the free end g' of one of rods g comes in contact with the central Harige ofcylinder-head D. The steam then passes from one ofthe supply-pipes F through steam-chest G and through depression 'e in cylindrical valve d, thence though vent b', and exerts pressure between abutment B and piston-heads t'. The gear-wheels m prevent unusual jarring or friction between the various parts of abutment B and revolving piston C. As piston C revolves the useless steam escapes into pipe H through exit-openings 7L and 7L". In case the abutment B closes vent b the valve d may be rotated so as to admit steam through vent c. When the vsurface of the abutment B has covered vent b the supply of live steam is cut off from the space between the abutment B and piston-head t'. The steam which has been locked up in thc preceding depression 7c of the abutment B exerts its expansive force between the piston-head t' and abutment B. When the piston-head t' has passed the offset in the chamber of cylinder A occupied by the revolving piston C, the exhaust-steam has free passage, through the exit-opening h', into escape-pipe H. When the abutment B has revol ved sufcientl y to close the opening to cut-off channel l, the exit-opening h is uncovered by abutment B, permitting what steam remains in depression 7c to escape into pipe H. Vhile the engine runs constantly in one direction, the valve d upon one side, placed in such a position with reference to the openings from supply-pipe F and vents b and c', or, where economy is looked to, the valve d, valve chamber or chest G, supply-pipe F, and escape-pipe H, may be dispensed with, Where there exists l no necessity to reverse.

In case it is desirable to obtain the full force of steam upon the Working parts of the eugine, the valve d may bc revolved to such an extent as to permit the ingress of steam into the chamber occupied by revolving piston C, as Well as into the chamber in which abutment B revolves, the valve d being constructed so as to permit of the passage from supplypipe F through the two vents b and c into the interior ofthe cylinder A.

The two parts of cylinder A may be drawn together by means of bolts a, so as to make the revolving piston C and abutment B steamtight upon their surfaces. This operation necesstates the near approach of bolts c. The

slots I) permit this operation.

Having fully described the construction and operation of myimproved cut-off rotary engine, I make the following claims, which I desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The cut-off B, in combination with valves d, reversing-rods g, and rod h, all arranged and operatic g as specified, for the purpose set forth.

2. lhe valve or valves d, reversing-rods g, and rod h, constructed and operating as above described and set forth.

3. The cylinder A and cylinder-heads D and D', constructed as above specified, and for the purpose set forth.

WM. J'. NORTON.

Witnesses L. HoMANN, WM. DOEGEN.

Qu' i 

